Lunch Bunch Ousts the Breakfast Club

To most adults, 9:33 A.M. would seem like a rather unappealing time
to begin feasting on fried chicken and milk shakes. Given a choice,
though, students at Lassiter High School in Marietta, Ga., have
exhibited a definite preference for luncheon fare regardless of the
hour.

Since the size of the student body greatly exceeds the capacity of
the lunchroom, officials of the crowded school have been forced since
1984 to serve lunch in four shifts--the first of which begins shortly
after the start of school each morning.

To appease the few traditionalists who find egg rolls hard to
stomach before noon, the cafeteria does make an effort to offer such
typical breakfast foods as eggs, waffles, cereal, and orange juice. But
the breakfast menu has been far less popular with students than pizza,
hamburgers, french fries, and other fast-food favorites, says
Lassiter's food-service manager, Nettie Sayers. "We serve breakfast a
few times a week, but most students would rather eat hot pizzas than
pancakes or grits."

Both menus contain the same nutritional value, Ms. Sayers notes, so
the food-service staff has made no effort to dissuade students from
indulging in their favorite foods.

The early-morning lunch hour may leave some students famished by
mid-afternoon, Ms. Sayers acknowledges, but she claims that most don't
seem to mind the unconventional arrangement. Students assigned to the
early shifts typically finish their school day earlier than others, and
thus when hunger strikes can depart for home or an after-school
job--and maybe a second lunch.

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